Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3)
Prostate cancer in Czech Republic 1959-1992. Descriptive survey
Celko A.M.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):119-123 
Carcinoma of the prostate is the second most common cancer and fourth most common cause of death from cancer, among men in Czech Republic. Of all tumours, the prevalence of prostate cancer increases the most rapidly with age. A shift in age distribution favouring the older population as a consequence of health promotion and disease prevention programmes, will lead to a permanent increase in the number of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in Czech males. Its incidence is raising steadily and about 2/3 of all new cases are diagnosed at the time of extra-prostatic or distant disease with poor prognosis for cure. Current evidence especially from...
History of poliomyelitis in the Czech Republic - Part III
Slonim D., Svandová E., Strand P., Benes C.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):124-126
The "repression phase" of paralytic poliomyelitis in the Czech Republic (and in the Slovak Republic as well) between 1957 and 1960 was characterized by controlled, short term, mass vaccination campaigns. In spring 1957, at the very beginning of a polio epidemic, about 87% of all children aged 1 to 7 years and about 40% of those aged 8 to 15 years were intradermally vaccinated with IPV. The protective effect in population given two IPV doses was 66% (in Slovakia 74%). The starting epidemic of 1957 was stopped. Morbidity and mortality from poliomyelitis markedly decreased in 1958. Nevertheless, about 39%, 13% and 41% of children aged under 8 years (given...
Fungicide methfuroxan administered chronically to rats did not affect serum thyroid hormone levels
Kita K., Jonderko G., Kucharz E.J., Kotulska A., Golab T., Kobes S., Krzewinski W., Kita I.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):127-128
An outbreak of gentamicin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a neonatal ward
S.Shamseldin el Shafie, Smith W., Donnelly G.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):129-131
Gentamicin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (GRKP) was isolated from nineteen patients in the neonatal ward of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Oman. Thirteen cases were infected and six were colonized. Two infected patients died due to septicaemia, eight cases occurred within SQUH and eleven cases were imported from other hospitals. Sixteen isolates were of the same serotype (K25), three were non typeable. Referred patients from peripheral hospitals were the source of the organism and hand carriage the probable vehicle of transmission. The first strain of gentamicin-sensitive Kleb. pneumoniae was isolated five months after combating the outbreak.
Chronic influence of pyrethroid supermethrin on some reproductive features in Japanese quail (140 days long avian reproduction test)
Mlynarciková H., Legáth J., Sokol J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):132-133
We observed the influence of chronic effect of pyrethroid supermethrin on some reproduction features in Japanese quails. They received 3 different doses (P1 10.7 mg.kg-1.day-1; P2 21.4 mg.kg-1.day-1 and P3 35.7 mg.kg-1.day-1) of the tested substance during 20 weeks. The total health status, reproduction of Japanese quails, the damage rate (degree) of the organs and tissues as well as the determination of residue in the eggs and muscles of the experimental birds showed that pyrethroid insecticide supermethrin can be considered a safe pesticide.
Prevalence of Lyme borrelia in ticks in Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Drgonová M., Rehácek J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):134-137
A total of 2857 unfed Ixodes ricinus adult ticks were collected in 2-3 week intervals in 1991 in Bratislava to survey their prevalence with spirochaetes. Five hundred twenty eight, i.e. 17.8% harboured borreliae as detected by dark field microscopy. The infection rates of examined ticks varied from 15.3 to 21.8% in females and from 14.5 to 16.9% in males. The infestation of ticks was related to the season of their collection, the highest being in summer months. At this time the highest number of spirochaetes per tick was seen, too. Tick infestation with spirochaetes in March and April 1991/92 and 1992/93 at 13 and 9.3% respectively, indicated borreliae...
Adverse reactions to BCG
Vítková E., Galliová J., Krepela K., Kubín M.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):138-141
In the post-war period the following BCG vaccines were successively in use for preventive vaccination in the Czech territory: (a) Copenhagen BCG, 1947-1950, (b) Prague BCG 725, 1951-1980, (c) Moscow BCG, 1981-1993, and (d) Behring BCG, from 1994 onwards. These BCG substrains can be now identified by modern methods of molecular genetics. Introducing the Moscow BCG brought about an elevated incidence of iatrogenic local and regional lymph node adverse reactions compared with the previous Prague BCG product and, as a new phenomenon, bone and joint involvements in children vaccinated at birth. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of postvaccination...
Crude oil spill in sea water: an assessment of the risk for bathers correlated to benzo(a)pyrene exposure
Attias L., Bucchi A.R., Maranghi F., Holt S., Marcello I., Zapponi G.A.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):142-145
In the spring of 1991, there was a shipwreck of the oil tanker "Haven" off the Ligurian coast of Italy. This resulted in the spillage of a very large amount of crude oil, some of which was burned off by fire. The accident caused several serious problems (sea and air pollution, damage to the marine fauna, risk of human exposure, etc.). In this context, an assessment was carried out at the Istituto Superior di Sanità with the aim of determining any possible risks to humans which might derive from bathing activities during the following summer season. The whole evaluation carried out after the accident demonstrated that the impacts induced were...
The spring-fall variations in the prevalence of environmental mycobacteria in drinking water supply system
Kubálek I., Komenda S., Mysák J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):146-148
The fluctuation in the prevalence of environmental mycobacteria in relation to nutritional conditions in nature was repeatedly described in literature. The seasonal difference in potable water supply system has not yet been documented. Potable water samples from water supply systems of 16 localities were analyzed. The samples of running water, and tap swabs or tap scrapings were collected twice a year, in the spring and in the autumn. McNemar's test was used to analyze the difference of the occurrence of environmental mycobacteria between the vernal and the autumnal samples. A significant change in the presence of environmental mycobacteria in the...
Interaction of virulent and non-virulent Yersinia enterocolitica strains and an epithelial and a phagocytic cell lines
Danielová V., Holubová J., Schramlová J., Sobotková J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):149-153
Morphological alterations of HEp-2 and P338D1 cells were detected as result of Yersinia virulent strains action only. A non-virulent strain caused none of these alterations even 24 h post infection (p.i.). The internalization of the bacteria was demonstrated by double fluorescence staining. Adherence and beginning of cell invasion of virulent strains was detected 30 min p.i. already. Two hours p.i. these bacteria were in great numbers inside the cells of both lines. The non-virulent Yersinia strain was found only in the P338D1 macrophages at 2 and 24 h p.i. but in smaller numbers than virulent strains. Electron microscopy confirmed that internalization...
People on the garbage dumps of Cairo: a toxicological in vivo model?
Marth E., Sixl W., Bencko V., Medwed M., Lapajne S., Voncina E., Brumen S.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):154-157
In the outskirts of Cairo, some 40,000 people live on garbage dumps. These people form a closed population whose socio-economic problems are identical. The pollutants are evenly distributed. Up to 30% of the garbage on the polluted area, which cannot be recycled, is burned, resulting in a high concentration of pollutants in the environment. The concentrations of heavy metals, dioxins/furans, PCB, PAH in dust deposit and soil were measured as well as the air pollutants SO2, HCl and CO. It was shown that while the systemic immune system is only affected to a very small degree, secretory immunoglobulin A is strongly affected by the emissions. It could...
Relation between residential radon concentrations and housing characteristics. The Cracow Study
Jedrychowski W., Flak E., Wesolowski J., Liu K.S.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):158-160
The survey on indoor radon exposure was undertaken to explain whether the excess in lung cancer deaths in Cracow city center may be attributed to this particular exposure. A total of 310 detectors was placed in households randomly chosen from three homogenous strata of residential buildings. The first stratum included house in the old city center constructed predominantly out of the stone bricks. The second stratum covered area of the city with big apartment condominiums built out of concrete blocks. The third stratum consisted of single family houses located in a suburban area. From each of these residency strata a random sample of equal number of...
Salmonella phage types distribution in the Czech Republic in 1991-1994
Karpísková R., Mikulásková M.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):161-162
The Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium phage types in the Czech Republic during the monitored period 1991-1994 are described. The total number of 2318 strains were examined. From 652 Salmonella typhimurium strains 24 various phage types were identified. PT 104 was predominating in both human and non-human strains. 1666 of Salmonella enteritidis strains were identified and were representative of 14 different phage types. PT 8 was the most common type in humans (91.7%) and in animals (79.1%).
Environmental impact, healthful food and education in toxicology - trends in Croatia
Kniewald J., Kniewald Z.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1995, 3(3):163-168
Following the informative regional development and environmental impacts in the Republic of Croatia, authors present the problems emphasized in environmental protection and health protection, and present the status of the contamination of food and drinking water in 1993. The level of education in the function of environmental protection in Croatia and its importance are discussed.